A+ ELA
About
My service stands out because as a professional educator, I know the standards students need in order to be successful in their ELA courses. I have also worked with a wide range of students, so I can cater my tutoring sessions to everyone from students in elementary school to adults in college and beyond.
I also like to have fun with English! To that end, I create comics and pictures to help students with frequent areas of need in English/Language arts, and I'm building a website repository of resources that students can access at any time to build their skills. That web address is http://super-ela.com/.
I enjoy working one-on-one with students to help them improve. Tutoring is such a great opportunity to help students with individualized attention that is not always available in the classroom, and those are the interactions that I find the most rewarding.
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Will L.
Frequently asked questions
What is your typical process for working with a new student?
Working with a new student is a three-step process for me. First, I ask the student what skills he or she wants to improve through the tutoring process. Second, I ask to see current samples of work to assess any additional skills that could be improved. From there, I work with the student to tailor our sessions to their needs. This could mean that we spend the entire session working through their projects or assignments, or it could mean that we spend part or most of the session working through skill-building activities that target their specific areas of need.
What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
- Certified teacher in English 6-12
- Designated high impact teacher by the Florida Department of Education
- Five years of teaching experience in the School District of Manatee County
- B.A. and M.A. in Communication from the University of South Florida, Tampa
Do you have a standard pricing system for your lessons? If so, please share the details here.
It depends on what the student needs.
How did you get started teaching?
I got started teaching as a long-term substitute after my bachelor's degree and before entering graduate school, during which time I taught tenth grade English and Humanities. From there, I went on to teach during my master's program at USF in Tampa, where I assisted and taught Communication courses.
What types of students have you worked with?
I have worked with students in elementary, high, and post-secondary settings.
Describe a recent event you are fond of.
Recently I was tutoring a 4th grader, and we were working through a compare/contrast reading comprehension text. The student was working diligently to complete the steps she needed to in order to break down the text, but we had been working for about an hour, and she needed a break. The text was about alligators and crocodiles, so she started saying words that rhyme with alligator. It sounded a little bit like a rap, and I knew the student was musical, so I started to beat box. Her eyes lit up and she launched into a a flow about Alli the Alligator and Brock the Croc. We laughed and had fun, and it was a great brain break for a couple of minutes, which gave her the energy to keep working through her questions when we resumed.
What advice would you give a student looking to hire a teacher in your area of expertise?
I encourage a student to spend some time evaluating their work so that they can be specific about their areas of need. It's also helpful if a student has a writing sample.
What questions should students think through before talking to teachers about their needs?
Students should ask themselves the following questions before talking to a teacher about their needs:
- What are the areas in which I struggle? For example, is it reading comprehension? Do I need help formulating my thoughts into a written work? Do I need help with literary analysis?
- Am I willing to put the time in to improve? A student will get out of tutoring what he or she puts into it, and students who work hard are the students who see results.